To kick off a new series honoring local community heroes, the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens recognized longtime Astoria Houses leader Claudia Coger last Thursday.

In addition to leading the tenants' association, Coger has advocated for the Astoria community for decades. Her son, now 65 years old, used to attend the after-school programs at Variety, where he was once awarded “Boy of the Year.”

“I’m a little emotional,” Coger said after she accepted the honor. “It’s been a long journey. I’ve seen many, many changes come to Astoria.”

Coger’s record of community activism ranges from fighting for voting and civil rights to gender equality. She marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. down the National Mall during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.